German Unification – Universal History

German Unification It is the union of 39 states. Until the mid-19th century, Germany had not been established as a unified nation, but as a group of 39 independent states that formed the so-called German Confederation. Among these states, the kingdom of Prussia had stood out in an extraordinary way, this kingdom brought together peoples of Germanic origin, and, in addition, that of Austria, populated by various races. The Napoleonic wars and the nationalist yearning that stirred Europe, made the German peoples also aspire to form a single powerful state and a single nation.
Prussia was the nation that started such a unifying movement. For this, he had to go to war with Austria, a nation that also had the same aspiration, but for his benefit, as he also came into conflict with Denmark and France.

Characteristics of the German Unification

The German Unification, presents the following characteristics:
– It was carried out without counting on the free will of the peoples; that is to say, that it was not a spontaneous movement, a nationalist longing, a patriotic aspiration of the majorities.
– It was carried out by means of wars, that is to say by force.
– The government that emerged in unified Germany was autocratic and militaristic.
– A powerful nation was formed: The German Empire (ruled by the Hohenzollerns), which achieved a formidable industrial, cultural and scientific development, eager for universal domination. His immense military power and his desire for territorial expansion gave rise to the two largest world wars in history. That of 1914-1918 and that of 1939-1945, which brought disastrous consequences both for Germany in particular and for the world in general.

Shapers of German Unification

They were the King of Prussia, William I, who made his nation the first military power in Europe; the famous Chancellor of him, Otto of Bismarck, nicknamed the iron chancellor due to his extremely authoritarian, hard and energetic character; and the Chief of Staff of the Prussian Army, General Moltke.

Otto Von Bismarck

Bismarck ruled for nearly thirty years, first as a minister to the King of Prussia (1862-1871), and then as a minister to the German Emperor (1871-1890). Europe counted him among its main leaders.
Born into a family of Prussian nobility, he possessed great qualities of intelligence, daring, tenacity and energy. He was an aristocrat, an ultra-monarchist. He upholder of the divine right of kings and enemy of democracies and Parliaments. He did not admit sentimentality in his government decisions
He was well acquainted with German politics, having been successively a deputy in the Prussian parliament and a Prussian delegate to the Frankfurt Diet for eight years. He knew German life and Austrian politics. He was ambassador to Russia and France, where he learned the intricacies of European politics, becoming a diplomatic expert. Then the king appointed him a minister.
In order to carry out the military reform proposed by Guillermo I, Bismarck dispensed with parliament and began a true dictatorship that lasted four years (1862-1866); the king fixed the taxes on his own, without caring about the protests of the liberals, and decreed the application of the plan of Roon and Moltke, without waiting for the approval of parliament.

Periods of German Unification

Prussia carried out this unification through the following wars:

war against denmark

In alliance with Austria, Prussia made war on Denmark and seized the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein, these territories then came under the joint rule of Austria and Prussia.

War against Austria

Prussia, after achieving neutrality from Napoleon III and in alliance with Victor Emmanuel II, declared war on Austria, precisely driven by the desire to snatch some territories from it.
The powerful Prussian army, in a few weeks, prevailed over the Austrians whom it defeated in the battle of Sadowa (1866), then signing the Peace of Prague, by which Prussia considerably expanded its territories with the incorporation of the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein, the kingdom of Hanover, as well as other regions. Austria, in turn, definitively renounced being part of Germany and accepted the dissolution of the German Confederation. Soon after, all the German states were unified on the basis of the North German Confederation and proclaimed William I as their sovereign. On the other hand, Austria had to return Venice, which, in turn, was incorporated into Italy.

War against France

The pretext for this contest arose when Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern, cousin of the King of Prussia, aspired to the crown of Spain, vacated by the dethronement of Elizabeth II. Such an ambition was opposed by France, since she did not wish to find herself between two nations dominated by the Prussian nobility. Shortly after, Napoleon III declared war on Prussia, arguing that William I had snubbed the French ambassador by refusing to receive him in his palace. But Guillermo I, anticipating the events, had already mobilized a powerful army of 500,000 soldiers who, under the command of General Moltke, achieved a crushing victory over the French in the battles of Freschwilier, Rezonville and Saint Privat.
The definitive meeting took place in Sedan (September 2, 1870), where the French troops were completely defeated, the Emperor Napoleon III himself being taken prisoner. When it was known that the Capitulation of Sedan was signed, a revolution broke out in Paris that proclaimed the abolition of the Monarchy and the restoration of the Republic (III Republic), under the presidency of León Gambeta.
The new Provisional Government, which replaced the Monarchy, decided to continue the war; but the Prussian army in its sweeping advance occupied Paris. Then France surrendered to Prussia. By the Treaty of Frankfort (May 1871). This treaty established that the French ceded Alsace and Lorraine to Prussia; They also promised to pay a very high war indemnity equivalent to five billion francs.
With the incorporation of Alsace and Lorraine, Prussia, hereinafter referred to as Germany, completed the company of Unification.